Monday, March 19, 2012

There's no better place to be during April in Texas than the Hill Country. Bluebonnets will be in full bloom and the weather will still be cool enough to be outdoors all day. I am lucky enough to be returning to Wenmohs Ranch in April to teach a workshop and I can't wait.

The beauty of this location is the abundance of subject matter. Historical Texas buildings, wide open vistas and a beautiful river location with remarkable cypress trees on a clear running river. This will be an in-depth plein air workshop covering every aspect of what it takes to paint outdoors sucessfully. I will demo each day, sometimes twice, and I give plenty of personal one-on-one instruction. I will also be providing open conversations about the business side of art including gallery representation and social mediaas a marketing tool.

Wenmohs Ranch has on its property a large studio so if things get crazy with the weather we have plenty of room and good light to paint in. If you ever wanted to get really serious about painting outdoors and you're ready for a workshop designed just for you...then this is it. Call Dena Wenmohs today at 830-825-3465 or email her at dena@wenmohsranch.com or register online at www.wenmohsranch.com.

Friday, March 16, 2012

I have a serious case of Big Bend on my mind. I recently made the eleven hour drive to south Texas for a four day paintout with seventeen other members of the Outdoor Painters Society. I have already posted most of the paintings on Facebook but thought I should post them here as well. Big Bend is a magical place with the Chisos Mountains as the backdrop. Throw in the ghost town in Terlingua and you have the makings for an exciting painting excursion. I could spend a month there and never run out of things to paint. Below are some paintings from the trip and a few pics.

"Dry Wash" 10" x 12" oil/linen

This painting was originally a 10" x 20" but I was never satisfied with it until Chase Almond suggested cutting it down. It works much better this size.

photo courtesy of Kaye Franklin

Painting with Morris Reese and Chase Almond

You couldn't ask for two better guys to spend a few days with painting. I've painted all over Texas, Colorado , Arizona and New Mexico with Chase. Any guy who can open a beer bottle using the bumper of his truck is a friend of mine. Morris and I painted together in a workshop so this was my first time to paint with him on location and I really enjoyed his company.

Painting with Fran Ellisor and Kaye Franklin

Fran and Kaye are my dearest friends and two of the most talented artists I have ever had the pleasure of painting with. We have served as board members for the Outdoor Painters Society for the last five years and have painted all over the southwest together.

No trip is complete without stopping by Santa Elena Canyon. These two towering formations are split by the Rio Grand River. This was my first painting of the trip and I was off to a good start.

"Gulley Wash" 9'" x 12" oil/linen

We woke up the second day to 30 degree temperatures and a lot of wind. We took refuge in this rather deep gulley that had ten foot walls to block the wind.This was a fun piece.

"Rio Grande Entrance" 9" x 12" oil/linen

Late on the second day I was looking for a painting to do to end the day. I could see the tops of these red trees from over a half mile away. I packed my gear and headed down this riverbed and the closer I got the better I liked it. Having done three paintings already I didn't know if I had enough energy to crank out anything worthwhile. Boy was I wrong. As the sun began to set behind the mountains, they turned all sorts of purple. The top half of the red trees were being lit up and the bottom half was dropping into shadow. I think this small study is my favorite from the trip.The title refers to the fact that this is where rafters put into the river for float trips.

Typical day for a plein air painter...on location and alone. That's why The Outdoor Painters Society is such an important part of my life. It provides friendship and time spent with people who share the passion of painting outdoors. It also provides the opportunity to fall into cactus. I picked thorns out of my leg for three days.

Not one of my prouder moments.

"Along the Rio Grand" 9" x 12" oil/linen

On the final day we painted on a movie set. The property is dotted with adobe style buildings, a church and saloon that have been used in several Hollywood movies. I chose this scene down the river to paint instead. On the left is Mexico and on the right is Texas.This was a good painting to end the trip on. I really enjoyed the trip and can't wait to go back.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

This is a plein air piece I did as a demo in a workshop in Wimberley, TX two years ago. It is an historic building that served as Driftwood's main post office for many years. I've painted this building several times and it has always proven to be a challenge primarily because the big shadow under the metal awning changes shape so rapidly and because there is so much drawing involved. You kind of have to draw in the shadow patterns then stick to your guns as you paint it.

Not only do the shadows change shape, but as they change the values within the shadows change as well. It takes some practice to ignore the things happening right in front of you because if you chase the shadows or the values within them, it throws to whole painting off and what you intended to do at the beginning gets lost.

Anyway it is a really cool building to paint with the old gas pump in front and all.

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My history

Landscapes are my passion but an occassional still life will capture my imagination.
I was born in Texas, lived here all my life. I've imagined living in Colorado or Arizona, but my heart and soul is Texan through and through.
I hold a Masters degree in medical illustration and am a Fellow of the Association of Medical Illustrators. Medical illustration is a highly technical, skills intensified occupation where education through illustration is the driving force behind every painting. Nowadays everything is digital and I work mostly in Photoshop. Getting into my studio to push oil paint around is a blessing.